The present invention relates to improvements in a fluid dispensing unit of the type described in abandoned application Ser. No. 479,353 filed June 14, 1974.
The said abandoned application discloses a fluid dispensing unit which can be used for containing and dispensing various fluids and liquids such as medicaments, cleansing agents, cosmetic preparations, polishes and a generally wide range of liquidous materials. The unit disclosed in said application includes a body made of flexible material which has a top wall, side walls, end walls and a flange extending around the base of the end and side walls to define an opening at the bottom of the body, there being connected to the flange and in covering position over the opening in the body, a porous or sponge-like material layer which can be secured to the body in various manners. Carried within the body is an ampoule containing the fluid to be dispensed through the porous body. To release the fluid from the ampoule, a squeezing force is applied to the body side walls so as to effect fracturing of the ampoule and the fluid is thereby released into and through the porous member for the intended use. While such device is satisfactory for its intended purpose, it has a disadvantage that when the side walls are squeezed together to fracture the ampoule, and due to the particular configuration and construction of the top wall, the fingers of the user do not have a fulcrumming surface which can be employed to optimally control the squeezing force applied, so that on occasion and if too much squeezing force is applied to the side walls, particles of glass from the broken ampoule can penetrate the side wall structure and cause injury to the users' fingers.
Dispensing units of the general type with which the said abandoned application and with which the present invention is concerned, are known in the prior art. Pertinent in this respect are the United States patents and foreign patent to be discussed next.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,403,961 describes a dispensing device which includes a body part 10 that receives and holds a phial F containing liquid to be dispensed. The body further includes a skirted lower portion in which is received a sponge applicator with the two body portions having an opening 18 through which fluid outflow from the phial is communicated to the sponge. The device is intended to be reusable but it is not used with a frangible phial, that is one that is fractured to release fluid therefrom. Accordingly, no consideration is given or suggested to the need for special constructional features to prevent penetration of any broken particles from a phial through the handle part of the body.
The Staunton U.S. Pat. No. 3,386,793 discloses an applicator for liquids, paste and like materials which has a flexible compressible housing from which liquid is dispensed through a sponge secured to the bottom of the housing. There is no frangible ampoule or phial associated with the device and there is no need to specially strengthen the housing for that reason. The fluid containing housing, however, is constructed such that the walls can be squeezed together to a considerable degree so that if it were used with a frangible ampoule, there is strong likelihood that particles of the phial could penetrate the wall structure to the detriment of the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,371,667 discloses the covering of frangible fluid-containing ampoules with several layers of absorbent material applied over the ampoules in the form of inner and outer hoses of absorbent material. No special consideration or provision is made to prevent penetration of the absorbent layers by any jagged or sharp edged particles of the ampoule structure following the rupture of the same.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,636,922 discloses various embodiments of fluid applicators in which a readily rupturable or frangible fluid-containing unit is housed within an absorbent or sponge-like mass. The shapes of devices disclosed are, however, in no way similar to those set forth in the abovementioned abandoned patent application.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,466,131 describes a dispensing applicator package in which a frangible spherical shaped fluid container is housed within a correspondingly spherical shaped body chamber 10. The side walls of the body chamber are squeezed together to break the fluid container and permit release of fluid to the sponge element 22. The top wall of the housing does not have any strengthening feature as would insure prevention of penetration by particles of the broken ampoule through the side walls. Since the top wall is joined to the side wall at rounded corner juncture, it is believed that the top wall would bulge upwardly when finger squeezing pressure was applied to the device thereby lessening the degree of control the user would have in applying such pressure and increasing the possibility of excessive pressure causing puncture of the wall by particles of the broken ampoule.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,768,916 discloses a scrubbing unit in which a frangible ampoule is received in a slot formed in a sponge member and a rigid cap fitted over the ampoule and slot with the sides of the cap being drawn together to compress upper portions of the sponge to facilitate directing outflow of fluid from the broken ampoule and also to prevent particles of the broken ampoule from passing through the sponge to the user's fingers. However, the device does not have a body or housing structure comparable to that described in the above-identified abandoned application and to which the present invention pertains.
British Pat. No. 1,016,053 discloses a liquid dispenser in which a frangible ampoule is housed within a cylindrical sleeve closed at one end and the other end of which is fitted an applicator device 4. No special strengthening feature is embodied in this device to prevent penetration of the sleeve by glass fragments from the ampoule.